GLOBAL NON-FICTION MARKET
Tech talk
Rest Of World is an international non-profit journalism organisation and digital publication. It was founded in 2019 by Sophie Schmidt who, after a decade living in places as varied as Beijing, London, Dubai, Yangon,
San Francisco and Johannesburg realised that ‘technology manifests itself very differently in different places.’ Her idea therefore, was to create a site documenting what happens ‘when technology, culture and the human experience collide, in places that are typically overlooked and underestimated.’ Which is to say, outside of the western world.
Recent stories have included an exploration of Asia’s booming online learning industry, an investigation into cryptocurrencies and a Buenos Aires hacker, and a look inside India’s digital crime unit.
The editorial team are always looking for stories about ‘how people in the non-Western world are being changed by technology, using technology in surprising ways, and what these phenomena tell us about life and innovation in a global digital age.’ Stories should be novel in concept or execution, human centred, rigorously researched and deal with something consequential. Every Rest of World story has a point of view and puts forward an argument, and your submission should tell a story, not just present some interesting facts.
The editors require material in five categories: Longreads – narrative driven pieces about technology and human behaviour. These should be 3,000 words plus. Features, often exploring a moment of transition in society, about 1,500+ words. Ideas are analysis pieces with a strong news hook, around 1,000-1,500 words. Essays are first person articles about personal experience of technology and transformation, again, about 1,000-1,500 words. News pieces are quick turnaround stories, 800-1,200 words, anchored on a current news development.
Pay rates start at $1 per word and may, depending on the nature of the story, also cover travel and other expenses. Stories can be about anywhere but the US, Canada, Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
Send you pitch using the form at https://restofworld.org/about/pitches/ Explain what you know about the subject, what the story is really about and why it is important, then outline why you are the right person to tell it, including a little about yourself.